EPA 608 Evacuation Requirements: Complete Table + Exceptions

Before you open or dispose of most stationary refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment, federal rules require refrigerant recovery to a specified level using certified recovery equipment, with the applicable level verified before the appliance or isolated part is opened (40 CFR 82.156(a)). The number depends on the appliance, refrigerant pressure class, charge size, recovery-equipment date, and any applicable exception.

By the Castleport Test Prep Editorial Team · Last verified September 27, 2026 against the current federal rule

Required evacuation levels under 40 CFR 82.156 Table 1

Table 1 excludes small appliances, MVACs, and MVAC-like appliances. Source: 40 CFR 82.156(a), Table 1. EPA republishes the same Table 1 values on its Required Level of Evacuation page.

Separate rules that do not use Table 1

• Small appliances: recover 80% with recovery equipment manufactured before Nov. 15, 1993; with equipment manufactured on or after that date, recover 90% if the compressor works or 80% if it does not. As an alternative, evacuate the small appliance to 4 in. Hg vacuum (40 CFR 82.156(b)).
• MVACs and qualifying MVAC-like appliances being disposed of: follow 40 CFR Part 82, Subpart B, or reduce system pressure to or below 102 mm Hg vacuum (40 CFR 82.156(c)–(d)).

Three things to read before you use a number from this chart:

• The 1993 date is about your recovery machine, not the air conditioner, refrigerator, or chiller you're working on.
• "in. Hg vacuum" is measured down from a standard atmosphere of 29.9 in. Hg. "25 mm Hg absolute" is measured up from a perfect vacuum. It's a much deeper vacuum, about 28.9 in. Hg on a compound gauge.
• The 200 lb split only applies to high- and medium-pressure rows. Very high- and low-pressure appliances have one level at any charge. And for non-major repairs, oil changes, and leaking systems, different limits apply.

Find your level in four steps

Work through these in order. Each step narrows the chart.

1. Is it fully manufactured, charged, and hermetically sealed in a factory with 5 lb or less of refrigerant? That includes examples such as window and room air conditioners, household refrigerators and freezers, dehumidifiers, vending machines, drinking water coolers, and packaged terminal air heat pumps when they meet that full definition. If yes, use the small-appliance rule and stop. A system whose refrigerant circuit was connected in the field, like most ductless mini-splits, is not a small appliance merely because its charge is under 5 lb. Keep going.
2. Is it an MVAC or a qualifying MVAC-like appliance being disposed of? If yes, use the vehicle-disposal rule and stop. An MVAC-like appliance is an open-drive compressor system with a full charge of 20 lb or less that cools the driver or passenger compartment of off-road equipment; the federal definition is not intended to cover R-22 systems.
3. What kind of job is it?
   • Changing the oil: no higher than 5 psig. Stop.
   • A non-major repair, and the appliance won't be evacuated to the atmosphere afterward: no higher than 0 psig (low-pressure systems are pressurized to 0 psig). Stop.
   • Leaks keep you from reaching the chart level: follow the leaking-system rule. Stop.
   • A major repair, disposal, or any other opening: keep going.
4. Pressure class, then charge, then recovery machine date. Read the matching row in the chart.

The exceptions in step 3 are explained in full below.

Worked example. You're replacing the compressor on a 240 lb R-22 system with a recovery machine made in 2018. It isn't a small appliance or vehicle A/C. A compressor swap is a major repair, so no exception applies. R-22 is a high-pressure refrigerant, the charge is 200 lb or more, and the machine is newer than November 15, 1993. The required level is 10 in. Hg vacuum.

Which pressure class is the refrigerant?

EPA sorts appliances by the refrigerant's liquid saturation pressure at 104°F, measured in psia (pounds per square inch absolute) (40 CFR 82.152).

Refrigerant not on the list? Look up its saturation pressure at 104°F on the manufacturer's pressure-temperature chart. If the chart gives psig, add 14.7 to get psia before you compare.

One common mix-up: R-410A is a high-pressure refrigerant in EPA's definitions, not very high. Under 200 lb it doesn't matter, because both rows say 0 in. Hg. At 200 lb or more, it's the difference between 10 in. Hg and 0.

When the chart doesn't apply

The chart is the default for opening or disposing of equipment. Four situations change the number.

A few details that trip people up:

• Non-major alone isn't enough. The 0 psig exception also needs the condition that the appliance won't be evacuated to the atmosphere after the repair. If either condition fails, go back to the chart.
• Medium-pressure systems are included. EPA's service practice summary shortens the 0 psig bullet to "high- or very high-pressure." The regulation itself lists medium-, high-, and very high-pressure appliances.
• The nitrogen rule for low-pressure chillers. EPA's summary names R-113 as the refrigerant where nitrogen can be used. For R-11 and R-123 chillers, raise the pressure with controlled hot water or a built-in pressurization device, the methods EPA's Type III test topics list.
• A leak doesn't turn the whole job into "0 psig." The non-leaking parts still have to reach the chart level.

What counts as a major repair?

Under 40 CFR 82.152, a repair is major if it involves either:

• removing the compressor, condenser, evaporator, or an auxiliary heat exchange coil, or
• uncovering an opening of more than 4 square inches of flow area for more than 15 minutes.

Removing one of those four components is always major. Other work is judged by the opening. A 2-inch by 3-inch opening is 6 square inches. Left open for 20 minutes, that's major. Closed up after 10 minutes, the opening alone doesn't make it major.

Confirming you've reached the level

The rule puts the check on the technician: you must verify that the required level has been reached in the appliance or the isolated part before you open it (82.156(a)).

• Wait and watch. EPA's Type II and Type III test topics say to wait a few minutes after reaching the required vacuum. If the pressure rises, liquid refrigerant or refrigerant dissolved in the oil is still boiling off. Keep recovering.
• Recover all the liquid. The rule specifically says the refrigerant removed includes all liquid refrigerant.
• Gauges don't count as opening. Connecting and disconnecting hoses and gauges to measure pressure, add refrigerant, or recover it isn't "opening an appliance" under 82.152.
• Use the right machine. Recovery equipment must be certified under 40 CFR 82.158 and used according to the manufacturer's directions. System-dependent (passive) recovery equipment can't be used on appliances with a full charge over 15 lb unless it's permanently attached as a pump-out unit (82.156(e), (g)).

Small appliances and mini-splits

A small appliance is fully manufactured, charged, and hermetically sealed in a factory with 5 lb or less of refrigerant (82.152). For these, the rule uses recovery percentages instead of the vacuum chart (82.156(b)):

The definition has two halves, and both have to fit. A ductless mini-split whose line set was connected in the field is not a small appliance, even at 3 or 4 lb. It falls under the main chart. For an R-410A mini-split under 200 lb, that's 0 in. Hg vacuum.

When small appliances are scrapped, the final processor (a scrap recycler or landfill, for example) must either recover any remaining refrigerant or get a signed statement or contract showing it was recovered, and keep those records for three years (40 CFR 82.155).

MVAC and MVAC-like disposal

For disposal, motor vehicle A/C (MVAC) and qualifying MVAC-like appliances must be evacuated following 40 CFR Part 82, Subpart B, or brought down to 102 mm Hg vacuum or lower (82.156(c)–(d)). That's about 4.0 in. Hg vacuum.

An MVAC-like appliance is a mechanical vapor-compression system with an open-drive compressor, a full charge of 20 lb or less, and a job cooling the driver or passenger compartment of off-road vehicles or equipment, such as agricultural or construction vehicles. The definition is expressly not intended to cover R-22 systems (82.152). So “off-road A/C” by itself is not enough to choose this disposal rule. Servicing car and truck A/C falls under Section 609, a different certification; EPA explains the boundary on its Section 608 and 609 overlap page.

What the numbers look like on your gauge

The rule states each level one way. Your gauges may show it another. This table converts each required level so you can recognize it.

How we calculated this: NIST conversion factors (1 in. Hg = 3.38638 kPa, 1 mm Hg = 0.1333224 kPa, 1 psi = 6.894757 kPa; NIST SP 1038) and the 29.9 in. Hg atmosphere the rule uses. Values are rounded. Real gauge readings shift with local barometric pressure; the rule's reference point is 29.9 in. Hg.

The line that matters most for the test: 25 mm Hg absolute is not 25 in. Hg vacuum. A reading of 25 in. Hg vacuum leaves about 124 mm Hg absolute in the system, roughly five times the pressure the low-pressure row allows.

Recovery evacuation isn't the same as dehydration

The levels on this page are recovery levels: how far you pull refrigerant out before opening or scrapping equipment.

Pulling a deep vacuum after a repair, often measured in microns, is a different step. It removes air and moisture before you charge the system. EPA's Core test topics list it separately as "dehydration evacuation." 40 CFR 82.156 doesn't set a micron target for it, so a number like 500 microns comes from service practice and the equipment manufacturer's instructions, not from the recovery chart.

If someone quotes a micron number as "the EPA 608 evacuation requirement," they've mixed up the two steps.

Old numbers you'll still see

Some study guides and flashcard decks still print numbers that don't match the current rule. Here's what you might run into.

If a manual from your testing program shows a different value, ask the program which edition of the rule it's based on.

Does this apply to R-410A and other HFCs?

Yes. Since January 1, 2018, the evacuation rule has covered non-exempt substitute refrigerants, including HFCs like R-410A and R-134a, along with ozone-depleting refrigerants (82.156, introductory text). When EPA rolled back leak-repair rules for substitute refrigerants in 2020, it kept the evacuation requirement (EPA regulatory updates). The substitutes that are exempt, in specific uses, are listed in 40 CFR 82.154(a)(1).

The 2020 rollback of certain leak-repair provisions for substitute refrigerants did not rescind the Section 608 evacuation requirements for non-exempt substitutes (EPA regulatory updates).

Evacuation practice: 16 original questions

These are original, unofficial Castleport practice questions. They are not EPA exam questions. Your score is feedback on these 16 items only, not a prediction of your exam result.

A quick way to memorize the chart

Read the post-1993 column top to bottom: 0, 0, 10, 10, 15, then 25 mm absolute. In the pre-1993 column, every row that isn't 0 is 4, and low pressure stays at 25 mm absolute. Small appliances: 90 with a working compressor, 80 without, or 4 in. Hg.

Then add the three job-type limits: 0 psig for a qualifying non-major repair, 5 psig for an oil change, and no higher than 0 psig on the leaking part of a leaking system.

Quick answers

Is 0 in. Hg vacuum the same as 0 psig? They're the same gauge reading: atmospheric pressure. The chart says "0 in. Hg vacuum"; the exceptions say "0 psig."

Which part of the EPA 608 test covers this? EPA's public test topics list small-appliance recovery under Type I, and the chart levels, exceptions, and major-repair definition under Type II and Type III. Dehydration evacuation is a Core topic. EPA doesn't publish how many questions come from each topic. To choose the right certification type, see our EPA 608 exam prep guide.

Can I put recovered refrigerant back in the system? Yes. Recovered refrigerant can go back into the appliance it came from, or another appliance owned by the same person, without being recycled or reclaimed. That doesn't apply to MVAC or MVAC-like appliances (82.156(h)).

Does this rule vary by state? These are federal requirements. State and local rules can add licensing or work-practice obligations, but they do not replace the federal evacuation levels in 40 CFR 82.156.

Sources

Last verified September 27, 2026. On that date we read the current text of 40 CFR 82.152, 82.155, and 82.156 on eCFR (shown as up to date through September 24, 2026), along with the EPA Section 608 pages listed below. We compared the low-pressure row in the 2010 and 2017 printed CFR editions and recalculated the gauge conversions using NIST factors.

• 40 CFR 82.156, Proper evacuation of refrigerant from appliances (eCFR)
• 40 CFR 82.152, Definitions (eCFR)
• 40 CFR 82.155, Safe disposal of appliances (eCFR)
• EPA, Stationary Refrigeration Service Practice Requirements (page updated July 6, 2026)
• EPA, Required Level of Evacuation of Appliances (page updated August 3, 2026)
• EPA, Section 608 Test Topics (page updated December 5, 2025)
• EPA, Regulatory Updates: Section 608 Refrigerant Management Regulations (page updated September 15, 2026)
• EPA, Section 608 and Section 609 Overlap
• 40 CFR 82.156, July 1, 2010 edition and July 1, 2017 edition (GovInfo)
• NIST SP 1038, conversion factors

Castleport Test Prep is an independent exam prep publisher. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or any EPA-approved Section 608 certification program. Exam and credential names are used to identify the subject of this page; trademarks belong to their respective owners. The practice questions on this page are original and are not EPA exam questions. This page explains federal rules for study; on the job, the current regulation and the equipment manufacturer's instructions control.

Written and verified by the Castleport Test Prep Editorial Team. Found an error? Tell us.